The present invention relates in general to a mounting means for domestic range oven doors that are user-removable at a partially open position, such door removal facilitating oven cleaning. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a spring-loaded hinge mechanism counterbalanced by a removable oven door, the hinge mechanism locking in position upon removal of the oven door to preclude accidental tripping of the non-counterbalanced, partially open, spring-loaded hinge mechanism.
Many conventional removable oven doors are lifted off a pair of bottom corner supporting hinge mechanisms by first positioning the door at its partially open broil position and then lifting up on the oven door to disengagingly pull it off the hinge mechanisms supported by the range body. Most prior art removable oven door hinge mechanisms have relied solely on a hinge associated broil position establishing detent means to maintain the spring-loaded hinge mechanisms in a partially open condition upon oven door removal. Such broil position establishing detent means can easily be overriden by, for example, accidental bumping of the hinge structure. Without the counterbalancing effect of the oven door, the hinge mechanism will forcefully snap shut, with probable damage to enameled range body surfaces around the hinge mechanism. Further, the now closed hinge must be forced open to its partially open position before reinstallation of the oven door can be effected, and this is difficult to do because of the high spring force of the counterbalance spring and the short lever arm of the hinge link.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,003,495; 3,191,217; 4,001,973; 4,138,988; and 4,194,321 recognize the above-noted problem and each provides means for precluding accidental closing of spring-loaded oven door hinges after an associated oven door is removed. However, the mechanisms illustrated by these patents are undesirably complex and costly and generally employ a stop that limits only closing, but not opening, movement of the hinge link. Furthermore, most of these mechanisms use a separate moveable stop member which can still be accidentally disengaged to allow the hinge link to move to the closed position.